"I never take myself too seriously, 'cause everybody knows fat birds don't fly !"
- Huey Morgan -
April 29, 2012: I'm heading home to Athens after spending the weekend in central Pennsylvania that featured a nice visit with my brother and meeting an old friend at Spring Carlisle. This shot was taken on Interstate 81 South near Radford, Virginia, USA.
A blind squirrel looking for a nut . . .
Hello and welcome ! You've probably realized by now that I'm a lover of all things "automobile" and/or "old cars" in particular. This condition has been with me since my childhood. But how this came to be is a complete mystery as I had no exposure to the hobby or profession in my growing years. Neither Mom nor Dad showed any real enthusiasm toward the automobile. They believed a car was something you have, not enjoy, and could take it or leave it. But this didn't matter. My obsession continued to grow, regardless. They would buy me hobbyist books and magazines on occasion. Dad would humor me by taking me to car shows regularly.
Mom & Dad put a camera in my hands in the mid-1970s. This small, low-tech Kodak Instamatic introduced me to the world of photography where I quickly discovered how much I enjoyed taking pictures despite not being good at it. But more importantly, this camera allowed me to combine my obsession with the automobile hobby and my newfound love of taking pictures.
The Instamatic was eventually replaced with a Canon Sure Shot in the late 1970s. Picture quality improved dramatically even though the skills of the operator remained constant. I used that camera all the way into the new millennium before it finally threw in the towel.
My love for the automobile hobby as an enthusiast continued to grow and expand during these years. But for some reason, I never thought about the automobile as a profession until I reached my 30s. The light bulb finally came on in 1997 after a decade in the travel industry. An evening job as a Detailer at Courtesy Motors, Dodge, Nissan in Altoona, PA lead to enrolling in the Greater Altoona Career & Tech Center's Automotive Technology program in 1999. I refer to this as heading back to high school due to the fact that I was in class with kids half my age !
I also refer to this as one of the best decisions of my adult life. With new-found education in hand, I began my career as a Ford Service Technician at Bedford Ford Lincoln Mercury in Bedford, Pennsylvania in 2001. Relocating to Columbia, Missouri in 2003 sent me to Joe Machens Ford Lincoln Mercury. Life brought me to Athens, Georgia in 2009, where I now work in Fleet Maintenance at the University of Georgia. And I've enjoyed every minute of it !
My choice of camera followed this same evolutionary path. The Canon Sure Shot film camera was replaced with a Fuji FinePix F401 in 2003, thus bringing me into the digital age. A Canon S3-IS replaced the Fuji when its screen quit working in 2006. Six years later, I upgraded to a Canon SX40 HS with a wonderful 35x optical zoom lens. The next logical step came In 2019 when I got my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel SL3. But this doesn't mean I'm any better than I was decades ago when I started (even though image quality has jumped substantially). I am in no way a "photographer," and prefer to call myself a "picture-taker" who tries to remember a few important things here and there.
And take pictures, I do en masse ! Contained within the various folders and galleries is a visual glimpse into my otherwise ordinary life where you will find pictures of everything from the various vehicles that have occupied space in my garage, to tales of my exploits in the garden, to a random goofy image or two thrown in for good measure. For those interested in reading a good story, I invite you to check me out at "The Auto Lounge."
Life is good . . .